l o v e l y t h i n g s

11.15.2011

casual dining room + thanksgiving table inspiration

Casual Thanksgiving...

Our house is very casual and that includes the dining room. I think it's more the mood created by candlelight, music and the meal itself that lends to a little bit of formality.

The painting is from Barclay Butera in Newport Beach, but I cannot stop thinking about this painting I saw on Etsy. I think it would be perfect on the white brick and for this time of year. It's called Whisper.

My husband made our dining room table when we were first married. We've used it in every apartment or house we've ever lived. A few years later my sister and I found the chairs at Pottery Barn for $30 each...I keep thinking we'll replace them, surprisingly they are very comfortable.

Looking into the kitchen from the dining room. Originally the opening was only as wide as a normal door. We opened it up, added an arch and brick. It makes the kitchen appear much larger, but the actual footprint stayed the same.

We will be away for Thanksgiving this year, but when we return on Saturday we'll pretend it's Thanksgiving all over again. I was inspired by the photo below taken at theUnion Square Greenmarket last Saturday. It was not practical to bring these little bundles back so I went with a similar feel, but used things out of my own yard. The color palette I was going for was gray, silver, white, natural and a little bit of denim.

My inspiration...natural from the wheat and grasses, the gray on the ground, blue (notice the person standing wearing blue jeans in the top right).

I love that you've kept your table all these years. What a treasure that will be in your family forever. And the rough wood is so current too! I always love your posts. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

annie i love this. i think casual settings like this are so beautiful and allows people to relax instead of being uptight during dinner. love all your choices. that painting or print is absolutely beautiful and perfect there too. i'm going to his website right now. xo

Annie, you home is so gorgeous!!! Every time I see it I feel inspired! I love the casual vibe of your home and your table setting for Thanksgiving. It's warm, classic and so inviting. I can't believe your husband made your table... true talent! Beautiful!

Rapture and Bliss are two words that your images evoke...i love the white and serene feel of your home.It is so different from my tiny dark wood walled arts and crafts bungalow...I could escape into an all white fantasy in your home.

I love your dining room. The black walls with the starfish prints are wonderful. Please don't change the painting. I love that the seascape ties in with the starfish. The bamboo blinds tie in the floor and table. It's all just perfect.

Hello Annie:Everything about your house that we see here, and have seen in past posts, looks wonderfully stylish, elegant and totally ordered. Your table is lovely, and very personal, and we cannot think why you should need to change the chairs.

Love the simplicity of this Annie. Don't you wish you could have some of those bundles from NY? Love the fall colors and it they would be perfect on your table. Although, I'm sure you will find something just as fabulous!

Annie! I am so glad you commented on my blog today so I could find yours! I LOVE your house! I have the same wainscot molding in my dining room and have never really come up with a plan for what to do in here....so everything is white. I love the black paint above yours....so I might have to try something like it. Your ideas for Thanksgiving have inspired me as well! I love the idea of the herbs, which we have in abundance in our yard. I am linking you in my blog role if that's OK?

Hello, Annie. What I love most about your style (and I think I've said this before) is your use of strong contrast and simple shapes. I absolutely adore your dining room chairs in black, and don't even get me started on the painting. A room is nothing without a good piece of art!Camille

Beautiful table! I love the simplicity. I REALLY love the view into your kitchen and how you gave it the appearance of a wider space. What a great idea! And is that a beadboard ceiling? Cool!!!! Wonderful that you are still using the table your husband made when you first married! The sentimental value alone would make me want to keep it, too!!! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I adore all things interior design, food, fashion, New York, The Sunday Times, shelter and fashion magazines, falling snow, ballet flats, Dunkin Donuts coffee, the beach and the hunt for beautiful things, but most of all making a lovely home for my amazing husband and two gorgeous kiddos.